Sabres News

Sharpen Up: November 18, 2017

It's Hockey Fights Cancer Night presented by the Courage of Carly Fund at Roswell Park Cancer Institute tonight at KeyBank Center. The Carolina Hurricanes are in town and the Sabres are looking to snap an 0-2-2 skid.

We'll have more on Hockey Fights Cancer Night after the jump, but if you can't wait for that, click here for all the details, including details on giveaways and the autographed hat sale. It's also the place where you can print out your "I'm Fighting For" and/or "I'm A Survivor!" placards.

Here's what you need to know.

About last night

It was a game that Robin Lehner called "ugly." Buffalo lost 3-1 to Detroit at Little Caesars Arena and no one was happy about it afterwards. Check out the locker room sound here as well as in the Lexus Postgame Report.

"We didn't have much discipline in that part of the game," coach Phil Housley said. "…I think it comes down to getting prepared to play. I think we need more commitment to winning. In a game like this, which I think was there for the taking - but I've seen that when we are committed to winning, we're a really good hockey team.

"…When we don't battle, it's very evident. We lose coverage and we have breakdowns. There are mistakes that are made."

"I can't say enough about his game all year," Evander Kane said of his goaltender. "He's been outstanding. He makes four, five highlight-reel saves every night. Nobody talks about it probably outside of this locker room, but he deserves a lot of credit. We left him to hang out to dry and he should've had a shutout tonight with how well he played."

Lehner, meanwhile, is only looking to add numbers to the Win column.

"Yeah but it doesn't matter [how well anyone thinks I played]," he said. "It doesn't matter. I can feel [as] good as I want about a game, but we're not winning right now. It really doesn't matter to me. Honestly, it's tough. It's very tough. But again, we're professionals. We've got to move on. But these ones are tough. It was an ugly game."

Ready for tonight?

The team will hold a meeting at 11 a.m. today as they prep for tonight's game. We'll have lineup news and notes for you. And since it's a special night, here's some more info on what you can expect during Hockey Fights Cancer Night:

As part of an NHL-wide initiative to raise money and awareness for cancer research, the Sabres will be hosting events throughout the night in support of local cancer patients and their charitable organizations. All fans attending the game will receive a co-branded Sabres and Courage of Carly Fund scarf.

Volunteers from Roswell Park will be on hand selling raffle tickets for chances to win Sabres experiences and autographed items. Tickets will be sold on the 100 level near the HarborCenter bridge until the second intermission. Furthermore, an online auction featuring unique Sabres autographed merchandise and experiences will be running this week at sabres.com/auctions. This auction will start on Nov. 18 at 9 p.m. and close on Nov. 26 at 9 p.m., with all proceeds benefitting Roswell Park Cancer Institute

To commemorate the night, all Sabres players will wear purple jerseys and use sticks with purple tape during warmups. The jerseys will be auctioned off online immediately following the game. Sabres coaches and broadcasters will be wearing commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer™ ties and there will be a ceremonial puck drop before the game, so fans are strongly encouraged to be in their seats early.

Roswell Park volunteers will also be stationed at tables throughout the concourse to help fans fill out "I'm fighting for ___" placards that will be held up at a designated time during the second period.

Flashes of Hope will also be set up from 5 to 6:30 p.m. near the elevators on the street level of the arena to give cancer survivors an opportunity to have their photos taken professionally.

Fans attending the game will have the opportunity to purchase autographed Hockey Fights Cancer™ hats for $20. The hats have been donated by New Era Cap Company and will be sold before the game and through the second intermission. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Wives and girlfriends of Sabres players will be on hand to assist with the sale. Hockey Fights Cancer™ shirts will also be on sale in the Sabres store.

Members of the Courage of Carly Fund will join other cancer patients from Roswell Park throughout the game in suites donated by the Sabres organization and Sabres players Ryan O'Reilly and Zach Bogosian. After the game, pediatric cancer patients will have the opportunity to meet with Sabres players in the team's locker room area.

World Juniors update

Last night in Detroit, USA Hockey Assistant Executive Director Mike Bertsch joined Dan Dunleavy to talk about the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held in Buffalo next month (yes, it's that soon!).